An amputee who recently lost his leg following an infection says he will be sleeping on the streets after being removed from Royal Berkshire Hospital.

Ian Fritz, from Mortimer, says he needed to stay in hospital, even though he didn't want to, because West Berkshire Council had been unable to find him suitable accommodation for someone who has become disabled.

After repeated attempts to ask Mr Fritz to leave, staff at the hospital were left with no choice but to take action on Thursday, December 22.

Father-of-three Mr Fritz, who has a history of chronic depression, had his left leg amputated below the knee as a result of an infection linked to diabetes at the end of September.

He had been in the hospital for eight weeks.

He had been hoping to move into a mobile home on a site in Mortimer before his operation, but now cannot move in because the home is not equipped for a disabled person.

He contacted West Berkshire Council for help in finding a new home, but said the only place he has been offered is in a hostel on the other side of Newbury. He claims it is too far away from his friends and family and completely unsuitable for his needs.

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"My step-father is in his seventies and has vascular dementia so I can’t live with him and my mother is recovering from cancer surgery - I don’t have anywhere to go."

"Totally homeless"

The process the hospital has used to remove Mr Fritz from the ward comes under guidance from the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (CJIA) which gives care givers powers to remove "individuals causing a nuisance or disturbance on NHS premises".

The guidance outlines three stages to discharging patients once they are medically fit.

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1. If a patient refuses to leave following consultant review and being declared medically fit for discharge, their concerns are escalated and discussed with a multi-disciplinary team; any support the patient may need to facilitate discharge is discussed/agreed and put into motion by the partners.

2. If a patient still refuses to leave they may be issued with a letter from the Trust giving them notice and a further date for their discharge.

3. If they still refuse to leave their hospital bed, the patient will be advised the Trust will take legal advice, and action if necessary to remove them.

A spokeswoman from RBH stressed the hospital had not yet started the legal process to remove Mr Fritz but said they had "helped" him to leave.

"Unprecedented" pressure

Mary Sherry, Trust acting chief executive said: "Pressure on hospital beds is unprecedented, especially over the winter period, and every day we work hard to ensure patients who are fit and no longer in need of hospital care are discharged, to ensure that patients who need a hospital bed for emergency or planned care, are able to receive the treatment they need when they need it.

"In this case, patients have been unable to access a specialist ward following their surgery.

"Using legal proceedings is a rare and regretful course of action for the Trust to have to take when a patient, who is medically fit and ready for discharge, refuses to leave their hospital bed.

"There are a variety of processes that can be followed to enable an assisted discharge but the action taken is decided on a patient by patient basis.

"The correct process has been followed in the case of this patient.

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"Every assistance is given to patients who may find themselves in need of further help with accommodation on leaving hospital. We work very closely with local authorities; however, social care and housing arrangements are not something we can comment on."

Speaking before his eviction from the hospital, Mr Fritz said: "I don’t want to stay here, I know I’m taking up a bed, but I’ve just lost my leg and need somewhere to live that meets my requirements.

"I know places are available in Mortimer but they’re not offering them to me.

"My three sons are in Mortimer and my family. I need to be nearby."

A spokeswoman for West Berkshire Council added: "We cannot comment on individual cases.

"However, under Part 7 of Housing Act 1976 we have a duty to offer temporary accommodation and the council is satisfied that it has carried out its duty in this case."

An earlier version of this story contained a quote from Mr Fritz stating his family had turned their backs on him. He has since called the news room and asked for this line to be removed.

We also reported he had a history of acute depression, Mr Fritz has asked us to clarify he has a history of chronic depression.